The Visit Richmond promotion has returned for another round, once again offering up to $225 in Visa gift cards for staying at select Richmond hotels through January 5, 2026.
This is similar to the popular Stay Vancouver and Edmonton’s Best Hotels deals, but applicable in the City of Richmond, a different region of Metro Vancouver, instead.
If you plan on visiting Richmond, or if you’re in need of a hotel stay close to Vancouver International Airport (YVR) this fall, be sure to check out this potentially lucrative promotion!
Visit Richmond: $125 Visa Digital Gift Card on Your First Night
The Visit Richmond promotion is supported by Tourism Richmond, in partnership with both the Richmond Hotel Association and Pacific Authentic Richmond BC.
The goal is to support tourism in Richmond, including encouraging Canadians from further afield to visit the city, stay with its hotels, and spend money locally.
To that end, the promotion offers a Visa digital gift card of up to $125 on your first night’s stay at a participating hotel, followed by an additional $50 Visa digital gift card per night when you book two nights or more, up to a maximum of three nights.
The full terms and conditions of the promotion can be found on the Visit Richmond website.
There are 19 participating hotels in the Richmond area, and they’ll each offer gift cards of $75, $100, or $125 for the first night’s stay, depending on the hotel’s underlying nightly rate.
For this round of Visit Richmond, you must book your stay before December 19, 2025, and complete your stay between October 1, 2025 and January 5, 2026.
There’s a listed maximum of three bookings per guest or party, and importantly, a maximum of one booking per guest or party per week.
Gift Card Usage
As per the terms and conditions, the digital gift cards will be delivered by email within 24 hours of check-in on the day after arrival.
Note this is different to previous iterations of the promotion which offered a physical gift card at check-in.
It’s important to note that the digital gift cards are automatically activated upon receipt via email, and they expire six months after the issue date.
You may be able to use your digital gift card for your stay, though Visit Richmond recommends using it for meals, local attractions, or shopping:
We recommend that guests use the digital VISA gift card for expenses such as meals, local attractions, or shopping. The digital VISA gift card will be sent to you within 24 hours after check-in. While some hotels may accept digital VISA gift cards at check-out, we recommend confirming their specific policy directly with the hotel.
We recommend that guests use the digital VISA gift card for expenses such as meals, local attractions, or shopping. The digital VISA gift card will be sent to you within 24 hours after check-in. While some hotels may accept digital VISA gift cards at check-out, we recommend confirming their specific policy directly with the hotel.
However, you always have the option to pay for the full amount of your hotel bill using a co-branded credit card (such as the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card) to maximize your points earnings. You can then save the Visa digital gift card for spending elsewhere along your travels.
Whatever you decide, just make sure to use the digital gift card before it expires.
Does Visit Richmond Qualify for Hotel Loyalty Programs?
One key question among those of us who participate in hotel loyalty programs like Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, or Accor Live Limitless is whether we’ll receive rewards points and elite night credits, as well as whether we’ll be able to enjoy our existing elite benefits, for stays under the Visit Richmond promotion.
After all, bookings at Marriott and other chain hotels made via third-party travel agencies are usually not entitled to participate in hotel loyalty programs.
The good news, however, is that Visit Richmond promotions typically don’t count as a third-party travel agency; instead, they arrange bookings directly at the participating hotels on your behalf.
Once the bookings are complete on the Visit Richmond portal, you can typically get in touch with the hotel via email and request to add your elite membership number to the file, after which the booking will show up in your “Upcoming Trips” section of your loyalty program just like any booking you’ve made yourself.
You’ll be able to earn points, earn elite qualifying nights, qualify for promotions (including the ongoing Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors global promotions), and enjoy your elite benefits during the stay all the same.
Maximize This Promotion for Your Trips to Richmond
Let’s discuss a few different ways to maximize this promotion, which can be valuable whether you’re considering a visit to the Vancouver region or you’re local to the area.
The City of Richmond is approximately 20 minutes from Downtown Vancouver, and a ride on the SkyTrain from Richmond–Brighouse Station can take you directly into downtown with ease. Locally, you can find world-class Asian cuisine, including a favourite of the Prince of Travel team: HK BBQ Master.
Richmond is also home to Vancouver International Airport, and it’s just a 25-minute drive from the US border, making it a convenient and affordable home base if you’re looking to explore all of Metro Vancouver or branch into the rest of the Pacific Northwest in one trip.
A Visa gift card of up to $125 for the first night, followed by $50 gift cards for subsequent nights, can significantly reduce the cost of your Richmond stay, whether you prefer higher-end hotels or budget accommodations.
For example, if you’re looking to enjoy a comfortable night’s stay at the airport prior to an early flight out, then the Fairmont Vancouver Airport is always a popular choice.
You can use the Visit Richmond promotion to get $125 off the room rate, which is a nice opportunity to score a discount at a property that otherwise doesn’t come cheap.
On the more affordable end, you can book at the Holiday Inn Express Vancouver Airport, Holiday Inn Vancouver Airport, the Sandman Signature Vancouver Airport Hotel Resort, the River Rock Casino Resort, or the Radisson Hotel Vancouver Airport.
The price would be offset by a $100 gift card for the first night, which is sure to take a good chunk out of the cost of your stay.
Conclusion
The Visit Richmond promotion is an excellent opportunity to explore Richmond and Metro Vancouver, whether you’re looking for a cheap stay in the area for an upcoming trip or you’re a local resident who’s craving a staycation.
The current Fall 2025 promotion provides some of the same cheap nightly cash rates that we’ve seen in similar promotions like Stay Vancouver, so make sure to book before the limited-quantity promotion ends for a hotel stay through January 5, 2026.
No matter which hotel you choose, the Visit Richmond promotion has limited quantities of cards available, so it’s best to take a look sooner rather than later.
Hi PoT,
Will this booking be considered a travel booking for CIBC Aventura VI? Could you use the elevated shopping with points option be used to offset the cost?